In a strongly-worded letter, 18 prominent Sephardic Rabbanim associated with the Shas party have rejected any compromise on the conscription of Charedim into the military. The letter, signed by Rabbanim including Rav Ovadia Yosef, son of the Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, states that “compromise will lead to ruination.”

“We will not be deterred from going to prison” and to “give our souls bravely and courageously to observe our holy Torah,” the Rabbanim declare in the letter.

The letter states that pressure to increase Charedi participation in the military is part of a “malicious plan” to control Charedim and reduce the number of Shomrei Torah U’Mitzvos.

The Rabbanim also rejected a compromise offer by Welfare Minister Ya’akov Margi of Shas, who proposed drafting young Charedi men who are not learning in yeshivas while making it clear that full-time learners would be exempt from military service.

Their stance aligns with that of Ashkenazi Rabbanim, who have also unequivocally rejected the drafting of Yeshiva Bochurim.

The letter comes as the government is formulating its legal response to the High Court of Justice’s ruling barring the government from funding Charedi yeshivas for Bochurim eligible for IDF enlistment, effectively ending subsidies for nearly 50,000 full-time Yeshivaleit.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)